40 Shillings on the Drum - playing the Festival as part of a UK tour - will be in Hastings to promote their forthcoming Live At The Albert album, which features several new songs that were performed for the first time on the night and demonstrate the band's passion for pushing the genre in a unique direction, whilst retaining the spirit and heart of the folk music that originally inspired them.

Skinny Lister really pack a punch with their live shows and will be headlining the opening night, Fat Friday,at St Mary in the Castle.Support comes from this year's Festival Featured Act, local singer-songwriter Jamie Smart and his band.

Rapper Chiedu Oraka is a pioneer of the alternative urban scene in Hull, drawing on his northern working class background, while closer to home, Hastings' Kid Kapichi have been making waves, hailed as an indie band to watch by the Evening Standard.

New Brighton band Jetstream Pony features former Wedding Present, Aberdeen & Trembling Blue Stars members, while Southampton-based troubadour Sean McGowan has had a busy year of touring including recently supporting Billy Bragg.

Adam Daly, Hastings Fat Tuesday co-founder and producer said:

"We are delighted to welcome some of the best emerging and established acts from all over the UK to Hastings Fat Tuesday this year, as well as many great local artists. Stay tuned as there are more still to be announced!"

Brighton-based musician, promoter and studio owner, Stuart Avis, recently sat down with Steve Hackett, who, as one fifth of Genesis during their 1970's prime prog phase, has gone on to build himself a reputation as one of rock's leading and most innovative guitarists.

The Ballad of Johnny Longstaff is the story of one man's adventure from begging on the streets in the north of England to fighting against fascism in the Spanish Civil War, taking in the Hunger Marches and the Battle of Cable Street.

In 1978, after having sold millions of records and become one of the biggest international artists of the 1970s, Cat Stevens decided to step out of the rock star spotlight and walk away. That year, he was to release his final album under that name.

Creators of stage showWild, Laura Mugridge and Katie Villa, want us to think about that thing we have all been through, but very few of us talk about, through a bold, riotous and strikingly visual show.

Brooklyn-based band Air Waves' new album, Warrior, is about being a Warrior in a queer body in this political climate, lead-singer Nicole Schneit's mother being a Warrior fighting chemotherapy, and being a Warrior in relationships.

Written just a year apart, Lone Star in 1979, Laundry & Bourbon in 1980, the plays share the same setting, themes and connected characters and, not surprisingly, are usually presented on the same bill.